I decided to work from home today as I desperately needed to get back to a ton of urgent emails, and to be honest also because I promised my little man I would be home this afternoon. I also realized my baby girl is growing so quickly, smAllah - she is already nine months old and I feel like I gave birth just a few months ago! So I think I simply needed a snuggly afternoon with my little munchkins and thus home has been my office today :)

I noticed a beautiful ashed piece of goat's cheese in the fridge, so I made a gorgeous salad, very much like the one in my cookbook, which I'm posting the recipe of today. I added some thinly sliced, raw courgettes I received in my organic box yesterday, just to mix it up a little from my usual salad. A quick and divine lunch :)

Much love,

D xx

In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic, lemon juice, olive oil, honey and salt, then set aside until you assemble the plate.

Heat some olive oil in a pan on high heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper, then sear the tenderloins for a half a minute or so on each side for medium doneness (depending on thickness), but do cook the meat to your liking.

Place the tenderloins on a plate, add the arugula and tomatoes on top and finish by pouring the dressing over everything. Enjoy!


(As featured in Harper's Bazaar Arabia September 2011)

Super Easy! Prep & Cook Time: ~10 minutes

Serves 6 – 8

Make the dressing by whisking the tartare and vinegar until smooth. Add the honey, then the olive oil and season to taste.

Prepare the plate by laying the slices of melon first, cover with the bresaola slices, sprinkle a few basil leaves, and drizzle the dressing on top. Enjoy!

(As featured in BBC Good Food ME - July 2011)

Prep & Cook Time: ~45 minutes (including resting time)

Serves 2 

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the bread in a baking tray, add the garlic, oregano, then drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss everything well and brown in the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and crispy.

In a bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients, add the bread and toss everything until well coated. Set aside for 30 minutes to let the flavors infuse. Enjoy!

Grill or fry the Halloumi for a few minutes just until golden brown, then toss with the zucchini, cherry tomatoes and vinaigrette. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve immediately.

This is one of my favourite Balinese dishes, and also one of the recipes I made with Chef Stefan on my Balinese getaway.. It's such a flavorsome and original salad, and yet so simple to make.. Beautiful! If you do not have green papaya, then use cabbage instead.. You will need the Seafood Spice Paste, which I posted yesterday for this dish..

Prepare the dressing.. Heat oil in a pan, add the Seafood spice paste, sauté for a few minutes and add the prawns.. Cook just for a minute or so, then add the stock & coconut cream, bring it to a boil and simmer for another minute.. Season with salt and pepper, set aside and allow the dressing to cool.. 

In mixing bowl combine all ingredients (just keep some of the shallots aside), add the dressing and toss everything together.. Sprinkle with remaining shallots and serve.. Perfect :)